Question and
Answers About the Holy SpiritQ Throughout the world today, people believe the
Holy Spirit communicates with them through an inner voice, or through feelings
and emotions, why is this belief extremely dangerous to faith and
salvation?

In addition to God the Holy Spint, there are also many
demonic spirits near us at all times. Without God's Word as your guide, you
have no way of knowing which communication is coming from the devil since he
constantly disguises himself as an "angel of light" (2 Cor 11:14). On this
matter God is very emphatic and clear: "Beloved, do not believe every spirit,
but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false
prophets have gone out into the world" (1 Jn. 4:1). "All scripture is inspired
by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training
in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good
work" (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

Q: This issue of Good News
repeatedly states that the Holy Spirit will speak to you only through the Word.
Why is this so important?

Because the certainty of your
salvation is at stake! If you base your faith on spiritual emotions or
religious feelings, you will be always unsure of your total forgiveness, God's
constant presence, and your eternal salvation. Basing your faith on your
emotions will cause you to be up one day and down the next. God's Word never
changes. "Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or
shifting shadow" (Jam. 1:17).

Do not allow yourself to be fooled by your
dreams, feelings, and emotions, all of which the devil can twist and
manipulate. Instead, insist on listening to God's voice ONLY in the Word. Then
ou will never need to wonder whether the Holy Spirit is speaking to you. God
also warns that dreams and other experiences will NEVER speak more clearly than
the Bible itself. "If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets [that is,
the written Word of God], neither will they be persuaded even if someone rises
from the dead" (Lk. 16:31).

Q: Are you saying that God does not
work in our lives in any way other than the specific and clear revelation in
His Word? Doesn't the Holy Spirit guide our daily lives in any other
way?

Certainly God works in other ways! In the Old Testament,
Abraham opened the door of opportunity to his nephew Lot, letting Lot choose
which land he wanted for himself (Gen. 13:8-11). In the same way, the Holy
Spirit gives opportunities io His Christians, opening such doors as a choice of
employment, a chance to move to a new place, and so forth. In providing these
opportunities, the Holy Spirit happily allows us to choose what we want, just
as Lot chose the land he desired. The Spirit will not, however, speak to you
directly and tell you which choice you should make.

The Holy Spirit
also guides Christians in ways that are sometimes beyond their choosing. For
example, God allowed Joseph to be sold into slavery (Gen. 37:28) and imprisoned
in Egypt (Gen. 39:20), so that Joseph could save his family and people from a
horrible drought.

Here is the point: God may permit, and even cause,
certain events to occur in our lives in order to accomplish His loving and
gracious will to draw us and keep us close to Himself. However in His Word, God
says He will never speak to you or any of His other children through,dreams,
visions, small voices, or any other direct way; because there is no way you
could determine for sure that this communication is from Him, and not from the
devil disguised as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14).

Q: In what
way does the Holy Spriit influence our decision-making when the Bible does not
speak directly to the issue at hand?

When Christians must make
decisions that are not directly addressed by the Word, they are free to make
their best choice, guided by the Word. You need not seek a special message from
the Holy Spirit because there is no right or wrong answer in many
decisions!

Obviously, a Christian would never be troubled by the
question of whether or not he should become a professional thief. God's Word is
made clear by the Holy Spirit "You shall not steal" (Ex. 20:15). But suppose
the man's choice is less obvious. Suppose he must decide whether to stay at his
current job or to move his family to a distant city in order to work at a
better job. He does not need to decide which job God wants him to have because
God has provided both opportunities to him (Jam. 1:17). Therefore the man will
simply pray, "If the Lord wills . . ." (Jam. 4:15) and make his best
decision.

Finally, God Himself says His revealed and written Word is
totally adequate for everything and every situation. Reliance on dreams,
intuition, or special voices is not only unnecessary, it is an offense to God
and a sin. "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for
reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may
be adequate, equipped for every good work" (2 Tim. 3:16-17).